LONDON (AP) – Prince Charles went to a London hospital on Saturday to visit his father, Prince Philip, who was admitted earlier in the week for “observation and rest” after falling ill.
Charles arrived at King Edward VII’s private hospital by car in the afternoon and stayed for about half an hour. The hospital’s website says visits are only allowed in “exceptional circumstances” due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Philip, 99, was admitted to hospital on Tuesday on the advice of his doctor in what Buckingham Palace described as “a precautionary measure”.
Queen Elizabeth II’s husband is expected to stay over the weekend and until next week.
Philip’s disease is not thought to be related to COVID-19. Both he and the 94-year-old queen received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine in early January.
Philip, who retired from public office in 2017, rarely appears in public. His most recent public event was a military ceremony at Buckingham Palace in July.
During the current coronavirus blockade in England, Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, has been housed in Windsor Castle, west London, with the Queen, who has performed tasks such as meetings with remote dignitaries. .
The royal house plans to celebrate Philip’s 100th birthday on June 10, if block restrictions allow.
Philip married the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and is the royal consort who served most in British history. He and the queen have four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
The youngest great-grandson, son of Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, was born on February 9 and has been named Augustus Philip Hawke Brooksbank, with one of his middle names in honor of the Duke of Edinburgh.